MANILA, Philippines – One mom is set to graduate from University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman but while this isn’t something new because a lot of moms have been graduating from college, hers is rather unique because she’s doing it together with her two children who are both graduating as cum laude!

Mom graduates at the same time with kids from UP Diliman.

At age 44, Lorelei Aquino did not think it was too late for her to get back to school, to the place where she met her husband.

Before the school year started, the couple already knew their children are going to graduate that year – and Lorelei had a thought that it would be nice if she could also graduate together with them.

Back in her younger days in college, she was not able to graduate due to a failed calculus subject.

Lorelei enrolled in UP Clark in Pampanga. But things were not easy for this mom, especially with the role reversal with her son.

"I also had to endure the humiliation of being tutored by my son. I knew that it was equally hard for him (he was often my shock absorber cum emotional punching bag especially when I would get frustrated due to a difficult lesson) but, as a parent, I had been used to doing the teaching to my children. It should not be the other way around," she admitted.

Despite her best efforts and her son’s tutoring, she still failed the subject. Instead of giving up on her dream, she enrolled in the subject again; this time, at UP Diliman.

“In hindsight, I realized that if my teacher gave me an undeserved passing grade out of pity or sympathy, my high regard for UP would be shattered,” she admitted.

This time around, Lorelei tried even harder as she challenged herself to really focus on the lessons to pass the subject.

“My children could take as many as seven subjects in a sem, and I would expect them to bring home impeccable grades, while there I was, allowing myself to abandon my long-time dream of earning a diploma, to give up the fight even before it started, to be daunted by the obstacles that a single subject entailed,” she added.